After losing the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, the Disney Brothers hired Gunther Lessing in 1929 to protect the rights to their new cartoons. Lessing then stayed on to head the legal department at Walt Disney Studios. Lessing would later be promoted to Walt Disney Productions Vice President and General Counsel, he also presided over Walt Disney Studio board meetings.

After 35 years with the Walt Disney Company, the Yale educated lawyer retired as a Disney Executive in 1964. Gunther R. Lessing, who Walt often referred to as - the only Mister at Disney Studios, died September 28, 1965.